Centre clears Rs 1,359 crore NH-62 upgrade to strengthen Nagaur-Bikaner connectivity
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The Indian government has greenlit a substantial Rs 1,359 crore project to four-lane the Nagaur-Bikaner stretch of National Highway-62, a critical infrastructure push set to bolster connectivity and invigorate economic activity across western Rajasthan. This move, announced by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, underscores a strategic effort to enhance the region's logistical backbone and unlock new avenues for growth. This investment aligns with Rajasthan broader agenda to modernize its road network, including recent World Bank-backed highway upgrades and state-level initiatives aimed at improving inter-district connectivity. The project, slated for execution under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, shifts a significant portion of the financial and operational risk to private concessionaires, a hallmark of India's evolving Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework in infrastructure. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma hailed the approval as a testament to the 'double-engine government' commitment to infrastructure development and achieving a 'Viksit Rajasthan,' while Union Minister Nitin Gadkari continues to aggressively champion highway projects nationwide, having just assumed his portfolio for a third consecutive term. The four-laning is expected to dramatically cut travel times and improve safety, directly stimulating industrial expansion, tourism, and job creation in Nagaur, Bikaner, and surrounding areas. As India presses forward with its ambitious infrastructure drive, the success of such BOT projects will be a key indicator for future large-scale developments. Stakeholders will be closely watching the implementation timeline and the tangible economic uplift in a region historically challenged by logistical constraints.